Here is a new blog post from a guest author contributing to Guthrie Kitchen & Bath Plus LLC’s website. All views expressed are those of the author.
Feeling lost in your own kitchen is one of the most frustrating feelings. It makes simple things like cooking or grabbing a quick snack take longer than necessary. Let’s not mention the small pang of stress that comes every time you open your cabinets and see an unorganized mess.
So, how can you easily organize your kitchen cabinets? Lucky for you, it often only takes a few small changes to organize like a pro. If you are planning a kitchen remodel, you will have to declutter and empty your kitchen cabinets first, so these tips are also a great way to start the process in preparation for your remodel.
Before You Start
Before you get into the logistics of organizing your kitchen cabinets, you have to take stock of what you have right now. What can you throw away? What do you want or need to keep? Completely empty all of your cabinets to do this step right. It’s not uncommon to find something spoiled in the back of your cabinet that’s been there for longer than you can even remember.
Once you’ve emptied everything out, be decisive about deciding what to throw away (we’re looking at you, plastic food containers) and what to keep. You may also consider grouping things into categories that make sense. This will make it easier to put items back into your cabinets later.
10 Tips for Organizing Kitchen Cabinets
Now that your cabinets are clean and you’ve taken stock of what you have, it’s time to jump into our top tips for organizing your kitchen cabinets. Take note of these organization tips when planning your kitchen cabinet design, as they can help you decide which cabinet storage features will benefit you most.
Install More Shelving
If your kitchen cabinets are hollow openings without shelves, you’re not making the most of the space you have. Maximize storage by installing shelves in your cabinets. Pull-out shelves are extremely helpful and relatively easy to install. They’re also a great solution to digging around for something in the back of your cabinets.
Keep What You Use Close; Keep What You Don’t Farther
It’s a simple concept. Keep everyday items like coffee, snacks, spices, plates, pots, and pans in easy-to-access spaces. Meanwhile, store the things you use less frequently in spaces that are farther away or more difficult to reach. You’ll prepare meals and clean up much faster.
Lazy Susans
Lazy susans are wonderful little tools that make it easy to bring items from the back of your cabinet to the front. And you don’t need to install a lazy susan the size of your cabinet to take advantage of this great storage device. Instead, you can buy a smaller one to place on shelves in your kitchen cabinets.
Wine Glass Racks
Installing a hanging wine glass rack in or under your cabinets is a great way to maximize space. By hanging your glasses, you make it safer to store them and free up extra cabinet space for things that can’t hang.
Risers
Think of risers as shelves for your shelves. They provide an additional level of storage, allowing you to create even more space for your items. For example, you can stack smaller plates above larger plates—all without having to remove the small plates when you want to grab a large one. Risers are fairly inexpensive, and you can even make one on your own.
Utilize Your Doors
The inside of your kitchen cabinet doors is an often overlooked space. But it makes a convenient place to hang things like pot lids, cleaning supplies, or cooking utensils. You can easily install hooks or hanging shelves inside your cabinet doors to make organizing items a cinch.
Containers
A kitchen cabinet filled with half-full bags and boxes of food looks unorganized and can lead to food waste when something almost empty gets pushed to the back. Using containers to store items like sugar, flour, cereal, pasta, and coffee reduces the number of food packages in your cabinet, saves space, and cuts down on food waste. Containers like clear plastic bins are also great for organizing smaller items.
Keep in mind that if you opt to take foods out of their packages and place them in bins or containers, labels will be essential in keeping track of their whereabouts.
Tension Rods
They’re not just for hanging curtains! Tension rods are a cheap way to improve the overall organization of your kitchen cabinets. If you place one horizontally to the width of your cabinets, you’ve got a new area to hang cleaning supplies and other items. Alternatively, you can place a series of tension rods vertically, adjusted to the height of your cabinets. This is an easy way to create vertical storage for things like cutting boards and baking sheets.
Hooks Under Cabinet Shelves
If your cabinets already have shelves installed, you can maximize storage space and organization even more by placing hooks underneath the shelves. The hooks provide a great storage option for items like mugs and cooking utensils.
Vertical Cabinets
While this option requires a bit more labor, vertical cabinets do wonders for kitchen organization. They make it easy to store things like baking sheets and cutting boards because you can lie them on their sides rather than in a stack. No more sifting through piles of flat items for the one you need!
Kitchen Cabinet Design Styles and Trends
Refresh your cabinets inside and out by pairing your new organization system with a kitchen cabinet facelift! A custom home builder can help you implement these storage solutions and upgrade your cabinetry.
These are some of the biggest trends in kitchen cabinets right now:
- Glass doors. It may sound daunting, but changing some of your cabinet doors to glass can really open your kitchen up. They also allow you to see your newly organized space!
- Colors. The days of neutral gray kitchens are behind us. More and more homeowners are opting for a pop of color in their kitchens.
- Shaker style. The shaker-style cabinet is a classic option that is clean, timeless, and functional.
- Gold hardware. The popularity of gold drawer pulls and kitchen cabinet handles has gone in and out over the years. In 2024, it’s a popular trend we’re seeing in kitchens everywhere.
The Ultimate Organization Tip: A Remodel!
Sometimes what you really need is a completely fresh start. If you’re looking to revamp your cabinets (and perhaps your entire kitchen), consider a full kitchen remodel with a new cabinet design that includes custom storage features. Working with a home design firm will bring your remodel to the next level. They’ll take your dreams of cabinet design and organization, improve on them with custom-tailored suggestions and ideas, and bring them to life.
